This invention relates to riding mowers and, more particularly, to riding mowers including a cutter blade housing mounted for pivotal movement between mowing and non-mowing positions and power lift means for moving the cutter blade housing between these positions.
Riding rotary mowers typically include a cutter blade housing mounted on a prime mover for pivotal movement between a lowered mowing position and a raised non-mowing position. For larger mowers having a blade housing carrying a plurality of cutter blades, a power hoist or lift is used for raising and lowering the blade housing. One type hoist or lift employs a flexible member, such as a chain or cable, connected between the blade housing and the prime mover and trained over an idler pulley or the like which is lifted to raise the blade housing to non-mowing position and is lowered to permit the housing to return by gravity to the mowing position. In prior art constructions, the chain or cable typically is in a slack condition when the blade housing is in the mowing position and is free to hang and bang against the blade housing or other parts. When this occurs, the chain or cable can be tangled and/or damaged.
Examples of prior art constructions of hoists or lifts for various implements and equipment including a chain or other flexible member are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Number Issue Date ______________________________________ Staver 202,383 April 16, 1878 Lehr 353,148 Nov. 23, 1886 Olsen 1,499,190 June 24, 1924 Johnson 1,505,201 Aug. 19, 1924 Coffman 1,755,574 April 22, 1930 Weems 2,123,579 July 12, 1938 ______________________________________